Review: The Black Agenda

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Cover image of "The Black Agenda" edited by Anna Gifty Opoku-Agyeman

The Black Agenda

The Black Agenda, Anna Gifty Opoku-Agyeman, ed. Foreword by Tressie McMillan Cottom. St. Martin’s Press (ISBN: 9781250276872) 2022.

Summary: Black thinkers in various fields make recommendations to combat racism and promote needed societal change.

The year of 2020 brought COVID, which had a disproportionate impact on Black communities, and the demonstrations following the death of George Floyd, asphyxiated by a Minnesota police officer. Despite the election of a Black president, it was clear that the structures of a racialized society endured. In the wake of that, this book was written, an effort of Black scholars and leaders in a wide array of fields. These included climate, healthcare and wellness, education, technology, criminal justice, the economy, and public policy. In all, thirty scholars contributed essays framing in brief proposals to address the impacts of racism in their area of work. The contributors did not aim for exhaustive nor bandage solutions. Rather, the book represents the thought of Black experts to offer ways forward from within the Black community that honor Black identity.

The essays on climate focus on the special vulnerabilities of Black communities to extreme weather as well as integrating climate concerns with other pressing issues. Also, the special vulnerabilities of Black communities argue against an #alllivesmattering approach to the environment. Finally, a representative of the Black Queer community advocates for greater visibility for the sustainability efforts that have characterized that community.

Under healthcare, essays focus on public health efforts that reflect racial awareness as well as recruitment of more Blacks to work in the health system. On a different note, the concluding essay advocates for the formal recognition and support of careworkers, many unpaid. The essays on wellness focused on interventions that promoted preventive wellcare. This includes prenatal and infant care, disability initiatives, and mental health services. Finally, the cofounder of Health in Her HUE writes about technology focusing on the health needs of Black women.

The essays under the education section were among the most wide-ranging. Specifically, topics included COVID educational environments, expectations for Black girls, and the representation of Blacks in children’s books. Advanced education included consideration of the effects of automation on students at HBCUs and student debt on wealth building.

Under technology, one of the essays discusses bias against Blacks in facial recognition and other technologies. In addition, there is the matter of algorithmic discrimination. Finally, there are ways artificial intelligence is defined and implemented that harm marginalized groups.

The opening essay under the criminal justice section argues for increasing diversity of police departments and other measures to diminish the contentious relationship police have with Black Americans. One essay argues for alternatives to our system of incarceration, the largest such enterprise in the world. Then, the following essay considers the impact of incarcerating Black men on women and families. The final essay focuses on the particular relationship between queer Blacks and the police.

The section on economics begins with an essay on the monetary policies of the Federal Reserve and how they impact Black workers. The next essay recommends the use of stratification economics to best understand Black economic realities. Finally, two women advocate a framework that pursues economic recovery through uplifting Black women.

The public policy section opens with advocacy for voter mobilization. This is complemented in the next essay by advocating the role of policy wonks alongside activists and organizers. The next essay argues we can ino longer neglect the Black rural South in the pursuit of justice-centered policies. The final essay argues for an Economic Bill of Rights.

The political climate in 2026 is very different from 2022. But this, to me underscores the importance of the book. By and large, these people are not often at the table. Often, the “table” doesn’t even recognize there are Blacks with expertise to contribute. My hope is that a more enlightened day will come, when decisions are not made for Blacks but with them, listening to what they would contribute. This book represents an example of the scholarship, expertise, and insight that this community brings.

Review: Christians Reading Classics

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Christians Reading Classics

Christians Reading Classics, Nadya Williams. Zondervan Academic (ISBN: 9780310171072) 2025.

Summary: A reading guide to the Greek and Latin classics and why Christians should read them and how they may benefit.

There has been a renewed interest in the Greek and Roman classics, fueled in part by Great Books programs, homeschoolers, and private classical education. The recent Christopher Nolan rendering of Homer’s Odyssey, and the associated sales of The Odyssey in translation have further fueled that interest. It seems that there is an awakening to a cultural heritage of which many of us are ignorant.

But why should Christians read these works, written by writers who were mostly nonbelievers? And if we choose to do so, what benefit may we hope for? Furthermore, is there a guide Christians might use to selecting, reading, and reflecting upon these works? Nadya Williams’ Christians Reading Classics is that guide. And she offers good reasons for why we might read and benefit from such reading.

Here are three that Williams proposes.. Firstly, reading these texts will enhance our joy in scripture. As we see the challenging questions these writers beautifully address, we come to appreciate the ways scripture address those deep questions. Secondly, when we read these texts we understand the world of thought and art of the first Christians. And thirdly, many of these texts were used in character formation, and we may benefit, enrich by the gospel and the Spirit.

Williams organizes the book more or less chronologically into five parts. “Longing for Eternity” considers that longing in the works of Homer, Hesiod, the Odes of Pindar, and in historians like Herodotus and Thucydides. “The Formation of Virtuous Citizens” explores the ever present tension between the individual and the state. Williams reflects on how this parallels our striving for autonomy versus trusting God. She introduces us to Aeschylus, Sophocles, Aristophanes, Euripedes, Plato and Aristotle.

“Words of Power and Power of Words” develop the classical focus on training in rhetoric, used for everything from manuals to politics, as well as the love poets. We meet Cicero, Caesar, and Ovid, among others. Then Williams turn to “Heroes and Role Models.” She introduces us to Cato, Livy, Vergil, Tacitus, Suetonius, and Petrarch. Finally, “Virtues and Vices in the Age of Anxiety” consider those writing in the wake of Rome’s decline and fall. Here we encounter not only Marcus Aurelius and Apuleius, but also the response of Christians including Augustine, Prudentius, and Boethius.

Throughout, Williams offers background, synopses of books and reflections on themes. At the conclusion of each chapter, she offers brief reflections her perspective as a Christian on the particular classic works. Each chapter concludes with recommended translations and several reflection questions.

While scholarly, Williams relates topics to contemporary life and sometimes with a bit of tongue in cheek, as in this description of Ovid, the love poet:

“While reading these poems, we can imagine Ovid as an immature emo youth of a very modern sort who lives in his parent’s basement, mooched meals and snacks off them, plays the dating scene, and refuses to get a job, all while he tries to catch a break in his writing career.”

She also describes her husband as an example of a successful courtship letter, an example of rhetoric well-used!

She concludes with comments on the joys of re-reading, with the hope that these works become friends. But what she also does is introduce many to our first readings in the classics. Finally, she suggests that as we do so and make these works our friends, we, like C.S. Lewis may be “surprised by joy.”

The Weekly Wrap: August 2-8

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The Weekly Wrap: August 2-8

The Neuroscience of Unread Books

The joke is that we will finish reading the books on our TBR piles in 329 years. Except that for many of us, it is no joke. I celebrated another birthday this past week. It’s also a reminder that the years I have left for reading the books on that TBR pile are ever diminishing. But the piles aren’t (notice the plural?).

Is it a kind of insanity? Maybe, but “The Neuroscience of Why You Can’t Stop Buying Books You Don’t Have Time to Read” suggests another possibility for this illogical behavior. It comes down to the human ability to take pleasure in the anticipation of future pleasurable events. The author notes that this is why planning vacations is as pleasurable as going on them.

The author summarizes it like this “The brain experts have spoken: your book-buying obsession is rooted in long evolved processes and helps spot good opportunities and add a steady drip of joy to your life.” I like that last phrase, “a steady drip of joy”! It rings true and explains why we booklovers describe buying books and reading books as two distinct pleasures.

Perhaps there is a third and a fourth. Winston Churchill urged us not to feel guilty about unread books but to “fondle” them. Between the initial pleasure and the reading, there is looking at the pile and thinking about the reading delights ahead. There is also the afterglow, as you look at books read, and recall the pleasure they gave you. And now you understand why booklovers love reading so much–it comes down to pleasure start to finish.

Just don’t break your budget, your marriage or your floor joists!

Five Articles Worth Reading

People seem to either love or hate the author of A People’s History of the United States, Howard Zinn. Adam Hochschild considers the controversial life of Zinn in his review of The People’s Historian by David Zirin. The review appears in The New York Times under the title “America’s Most Divisive Historian Gets a New Biography.” This is on my list.

JSTOR excels in collecting articles into incredible online posts. “The Many Lives of Libraries” is just the latest example. It features libraries, famous librarians, articles on libraries and social change, and even an op-ed from Bernie Sanders.

Then, “In Search of the Consolations of Age” by Theodore Dalrymple is an extended and poignant reflection on Malcom Arnold’s poem Growing Old. Can you tell I just celebrated a birthday?

However, it is never too late as long as we are living to take on a new reading challenge. Seth Kaplan writes of one example of this in “Why My 85-Year-Old Friend Has Devoted the Last Years of Her Life to Reading the Ancient Classics.”

Finally, if you still wonder about the arguments of left and right about reading the Great Books, ancient or modern, Nadya Williams summarizes those arguments and her own case for reading these books in “The Great Books for You and for Me.” It also just so happens that I will be reviewing her Christians Reading Classics on Monday. Let’s put it this way, when I see something written by her, I try to read it as soon as I can.

Quote of the Week

Garrison Keillor, the humorist, was born August 7, 1942. He hit the nail on the head for me when he said,

“I think the most un-American thing you can say is, ‘You can’t say that.’ “

What I particularly fear in the age we are in is self-censorship. How many good and important things have been suppressed by the threats, often implied, of the powerful?

Miscellaneous Musings

I just renewed the domain name of bobonbooks.com for another year. So, Lord willing you will have to endure me talking about books for another year!

Because I also have a dedicated email account for the blog, I have had a first hand exposure to what appear to be literary scammers, perhaps bots. People will write me about my book (often one I’ve reviewed!) or by an author with a similar website. What strikes me is how stupid and lazy these attempts are. Five minutes on my website would tell them I am not their audience. Publishers have been warning their authors about these scammers. Yet another way people too lazy to do real work try to scam the rest of us!

Finally, while on the subject of the blog, one of the things people have tried to sell me on is monetizing the blog. I have no objection to those who do so. But I feel I’ve been tremendously blessed in life and love sharing the blessing of books I’ve loved and think important. It is a joy to give with no strings attached. However, it does bother me when I come across evidence my copyrighted material is used by AI agents without my permission. This speaks to my fundamental contention that AI in the publishing world is founded on theft of intellectual property.

Next Week’s Reviews

Monday: Nadya Williams, Christians Reading Classics

Tuesday: Anna Gifty Opoku-Agyeman, ed. The Black Agenda

Wednesday: Terry Pratchett, Guards! Guards!

Thursday: John B. Hatch, Oh What A Day!

Friday: Jarvis J. Williams, Paul’s Gospel in Romans

So, that’s The Weekly Wrap for August 2-8.

Find past editions of The Weekly Wrap under The Weekly Wrap heading on this page.

Review: Whistler

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Cover image of "Whistler" by Ann Patchett

Whistler

Whistler, Ann Patchett. HarperCollins (ISBN: 9780063511637) 2026.

Summary: When Daphne Fuller runs into the stepfather she hadn’t seen for forty years, they reconnect, understanding the bond between them.

It was supposed to be a day for Daphne and Jonathan Fuller to enjoy being together at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Then Jonathan notices that an older man is following them. And they are unable to elude him. Finally, they talk to him to discover that the man is Eddie Triplett, Daphne’s stepfather. It has been over 40 years since she last saw him. She’d more or less put the brief time her stepfather was in her life away in a box. He’s now in his seventies but still working as an editor at a major publishing house.

And yet we discover that there is a deep bond, forged in a traumatic accident. Between meetings in the present, the story flashes back to the accident and the events that unfolded that winter night. While Daphne’s sister Leda was in the hospital for appendicitis, Eddie picked up Daphne after school on a cold wintry evening. Before taking her home in their big Chevy station wagon, he wanted to take her to out to a raspberry farm at the top of a hill. However, he missed a turn and they slid off the road into the woods. Eddie injured his left ankle, trapped under the emergency brake, as well as his left shoulder. Daphne, in her seat belt, only had a bad facial cut.

During their time in the car, we learn the story of Whistler, a horse in a story Eddie never published. The author never submitted it for publication. The horse rescues its owner and the story was so powerful that Eddie had a rendering of Whistler in his office. We come to see there is more than one Whistler in the story.

Jonathan, a hospital administrator Daphne met while caring for her dying father, Buddy Zabriskie, is away in Wisconsin, cleaning out his parents home. He’s also reconnecting with the past. In fact, reconnecting and understanding is an important part of this book. When she and Eddie go to meet Skip and Polly Hotalling, she learns the real reason her mother divorced Eddie. It wasn’t because of the accident. She comes to a reckoning with all three men who had been “fathers.” And she comes to understand more of her mother, with whom she hadn’t been close.

Most of all, as Daphne revisits the events of forty years ago, she recognizes qualities that have been part of who she is–with Eddie, with Jonathan, with the girls she teaches. She also learns lessons about life’s impermanence from Eddie and how accepting that can yield happiness.

Acceptance of life’s givenness seems to be a quality of Patchett’s most recent books. There is a maturity here that I can’t help but thinks reflects a maturity in Patchett. As always, Patchett writes with exquisite beauty. Added to this are the deepened insights of coming to terms with one’s past, one’s people, and one’s self.

Review: New Testament Ethics

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Cover image of "New Testament Ethics" edited by Cherryl Hunt, Nicholas J. Moore, and Timothy J. Murray

New Testament Ethics

New Testament Ethics, Cherryl Hunt, Nicholas J. Moore, and Timothy J. Murray, editors, foreword by Luke Timothy Johnson. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co. (ISBN: 9780802884503) 2026.

Summary: Critical and constructive essays discussing Richard B. Hays “The Moral Vision of the New Testament” thirty years later.

Thirty years ago, Richard B. Hays published his landmark book, The Moral Vision of the New Testament (reviewed at https://bobonbooks.com/2026/07/28/review-the-moral-vision-of-the-new-testament/). Quoting from my review:

What Hays does in this book is establish a methodology of moving from the texts of the New Testament to applications to contemporary issues. He follows a four step process. He begins with describing the moral witness of the New Testament texts. Then, he synthesizes that material into three focal images he argues are foundational to New Testament ethics. From here, he engages the hermeneutical or interpretive task, drawing upon text as the “norming norm” but also weighing church tradition, reason, and experience. Finally, he addresses the pragmatic task of using this framework to address five “test cases” which vary in terms of the amount of textual material available.

In this book, a wide array of scholars engage Hays’ work thirty years later. Sadly, Richard Hays passed away in 2025, before this work’s publication. However, it honors his scholarship in the best way possible, carrying the conversation he began forward. The book is organized into three parts after an introductory essay by the editors.

Part 1: Hermeneutics: Approaching New Testament Ethics

This part addresses the methodological questions arising from Hays’ proposal. Andrew Cowan challenges Hays’ emphasis on narrative, asserting that other New Testament genres contribute paradigms for ethical decision making. Likewise, Andrew Goddard challenges his ideas about narrative, but from the perspective that scripture might better be understood as drama. Miles Tradewell focus upon, affirms, and extends Hays’ work on metaphor, incorporating recent scholarship.

Channing Crisler addresses Hays’ three focal images of community, cross, and new creation, proposing justification as a fourth. While justification is an important New Testament theme, I was not convinced that it spans the full New Testament corpus. Finally, Walter Moberly compares Moral Vision with The Widening of God’s Mercy, describing what changed for Richard in his views about LGBTQ sexuality. He observes that Hays does not change his reading of the texts but sets them within a widening trajectory of God’s mercy. He also notes the distinctive contributions of his son, Christopher.

Part 2: Exegesis: Mapping New Testament Ethics

The contributors in this section focus on the description of the contribution of particular texts or authors to New Testament ethics. The ethics of material possessions in Luke’s gospel is the focus of Carl-Magnus Carlstein and Rebekah Eklund. Specificallly, this advances Hays’ work in addressing at length a topic hays only briefly touched on in his conclusion. Then Kai Akagi considers the role of the fear of the Lord in moral motivation as it appears in Acts.

Richard B. Hays noted the inclusive focus of love in John’s Gospel. However, Elizabeth Corsar takes exception to that, arguing for a strong connection between love and mission, and that this is consistent with the rest of the New Testament. She considers it to be another focal image. Andrew Boakye explores the connection of the resurrection to ethics, arguing it is foundational to human equity. Finally, Amy Peeler discusses the theme of patient endurance in Hebrews and how it relates to his three focal images. She also suggests a fourth focal image, that of covenant. Given that Hays did not discuss Hebrews in his work, this essay makes a signal contribution.

Part 3: Themes: Practicing New Testament Ethics

The essays in this section focus on Hays’ “pragmatic” task, taking specific issues, offering examples of using the New Testament in ethical discernment. Annalisa Phillips Wilson discusses sex and celibacy in light of 1 Corinthians 7, avoiding either simplistic valorizing of marriage or exalting celibacy. Likewise, Elizabeth Hare and Nicholas Moore focus on relationality in Luke-Acts against the global health crisis of loneliness. They examine the narratives of Zacchaeus, Aquila and priscilla, and Apollos.

Yung Suk Kim takes Hays discussion of ethnic conflict further, looking at Paul’s body metaphor. Then Cherryl Hunt applies Hays’ methodology to the ecological crisis. Her essay underscored how little material in the New Testament directly addresses this theme, compared to the Old Testament. She gets at this by radically reinterpreting Hays’ focal images, extending them to the whole creation. Finally, John Barclay concludes in what is perhaps the most challenging of the essay in addressing wealth, and the New Testament warnings of its dangers.

Concluding Comments

I thought this volume a fitting tribute to Hays. Many of the essays emphasized the enduring value of his methodological framework as well as his focal images. I particularly appreciated the extension of his work on the topics of wealth and possessions, especially John Barclay’s concluding essay. Likewise, Hays did not utilize the full New Testament canon in his original work and so Amy Peeler’s work on Hebrews and the idea of patient endurance most helpful. And Kai Akagi and his essay on the fear of the Lord in Acts and its OT resonances of great value. I think, were Hays have been able to write an afterword, as was planned, he would have been deeply appreciative of both the critical and constructive work of these essays.

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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher for review.

Review: Becoming Neighbors

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Cover image of "Becoming Neighbors" by Amar D. Peterman

Becoming Neighbors

Becoming Neighbors, Amar D. Peterman. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co. (ISBN: 9780802884121) 2026.

Summary: Seeking the local common good through shared tables, neighbor love, building together, and faithful presence.

Many of us have despaired as we look at the deep national divisions in the politics of our country. Why can’t our political representatives come together for the common good of all our citizens? I’ve about concluded that this is a quixotic quest and only a work of God can change things, which I still pray for.

But there is an old saw that “all politics is local.” Furthermore, while we are instructed to pray for our leaders, we are commanded to love our neighbors. In this book, Amar D. Peterman takes that command seriously and presses into what that love might look like in the real neighborhoods where we live. This follows the pattern of the incarnation, where God took on flesh and broke bread with real people.

In fact, Jesus spent a lot of time at tables. Peterman reflects deeply upon this as a core practice of neighboring. He explores why we would desire this and roots it in love of God and those with whom we share the table. In fact, we join what God is already doing in our neighborhood. We recognize God has already been loving our neighbors and we love them in God. So we look for good in those we encounter, believing the good God is present. We believe community is possible because the God who is present is community, the eternal fellowship of three persons in one Being. And because of the diverse nature of our communities, the goodness we encounter is a potluck. Each dish reflects the story of our neighbors.

Neighbor love isn’t a feeling but something we do. Peterman outlines six practices of neighbor love: compassion, humility, translation, resonance, lamentation, and accompaniment. The last four spoke to me. Translation speaks in the neighbor’s language. Resonance listens to the tone of our neighbors and matches it. Lamentation aches for and mourns what grieves our neighbors. Accompaniment is presence, showing up for others.

He describes neighbors as building together, and in fact, this happens, whether a playground, a community garden, or even a shared enterprise. We can take great encouragement that Jesus, our prophet, priest, and king joins us in this work. Prophets cast vision and clear rubble. Priests come with the vision of the table and sketch out what that might look like in a community-a food pantry, a shared dining space, a community garden. Then kings marshal the resources to support the vision and lead out in realizing it. But we will only know what to build through faithful presence, accompaniment.

Finally, Peterman explores what it means to live as neighbors. He suggests the image of being hopeful gardeners, believing in the power of Jesus to bring his resurrection life. Peterman also likens us to kintsugi artists, taking the given fragments and mending them together. Neighbor love is not controlling but waiting and working to see how God will bring the broken fragments of a neighborhood together.

What Peterman does in this book is cast a theological vision of neighbor love. I have to admit wrestling with what that means in our relatively private suburban neighborhood. I feel we are a long way from neighborhood potlucks. But our pastor has challenged us to get to know our neighbor’s names and pray for them. On walks, I’ve met some, and had to confess my chagrin at not knowing the names of those who’d lived as neighbors for some years. I do think restoring local community is a starting point. I wish there were more of a roadmap for what this looks like in neighborhoods like mine. Perhaps faithful presence, the attentive waiting to see what God wants to build is the starting point. And Peterman’s six practices of neighbor love are a good guide.

When I was in college ministry we talked about “developing world-changers.” But in my retirement years, I have to admit to resonating more with Peterman’s message of loving my physical neighbors well. That may actually be the greater challenge. It is certainly part of the greatest commandment!

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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher for review.